1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an operating system renewing apparatus for installing a new operating system in a computer system.
2. Description of the Related Art
An example of an operation system renewing apparatus in the related art will now be described with reference to FIG.1. A step S2 (the term `step` will be omitted, hereinafter) switches on the power of a computer system. S4 executes IPL (initial program loading) of an existing operating system. S6 transfers certain sorts of information from the thus loaded existing operating system to a recording medium such as a magnetic tape. The certain sorts of information include office automation (OA) data such as application programs and document files, environment data such as data regarding user resources and customized data such as program parameters set for particular uses, and network definition data regarding another environment such as a network. The certain sorts of data to be transferred are specified one-by one by an operator using relevant commands. Such data transfer is made for a purpose of saving the data. S8 checks whether the above data transfer has been completed. If S8 determines such data-transfer completion, S10 switches off the power of the computer system so as to delete the existing operating system from a memory of the computer system.
S12 loads, in the computer system, a recording medium such as a flexible magnetic disc, a magnetic tape or the like having an independent utility stored therein. The independent utility is a system similar to an operating system having an IPL program. S14 switches on the power of the computer system. In S16, the independent utility installs a new operating system as a result of reading the new operating system from a recording medium such as a magnetic tape. S18 checks whether the new operating system has been properly installed. If S18 determines such proper installation, S20 switches off the power of the computer system so as to delete the independent utility from the memory of the computer system.
S22 switches on the power of the computer system. S24 performs IPL of the new operating system. S26 transfers the above certain sorts of information, previously saved in the recording medium in S6, from the recording medium to the computer system. The operator specifies one-by-one the above certain sorts of information to be transferred using relevant commands. S28 checks whether the transferring of the certain sorts of information has been completed. If S28 determines such data transfer completion, S30 switches off the power of the computer system. S32 switches on the power of the computer system. The new operation system can be practically used in S33.
The operator reports, via telephone or the like, the above completion of the new operating system installation to an operator of a higher-rank managing computer system which manages the above computer system having the above new operating system installed as described above. However, if there are many similar computer systems having similar renewing/installation work performed thereon, it is difficult to appropriately manage execution of the renewing/installation work in all the computer systems in real-time.
In the operation flow shown in FIG. 1, the existing operating system operates between S2 and S10, the independent utility operates between S12 and S20 and the new operating system operates between S22 and S33.
Such an operating system renewing apparatus in the related art requires many processes such as installation of a new operating system, transferring of certain sorts of information and so forth as described above. Further, such an apparatus in the related art requires a special operator who can perform complicated operations such as setting recording media, inputting relevant commands and so forth as described above. Thus, if a user wishes to improve an existing operating system by renewing it with a new operating system, the user has to request that such a special operator come to the relevant site. As a result, such renewal work is costly and requires a large amount of work time. Further, if the user wishes to know how the work is progressing or if a problem has occurred during the work, the special operator has to report such matters to the user via a telephone of the like. Thus, a real-time management of the work is difficult.